As used herein, the term "isoflavone" includes malonyl, acetyl, glucoside, and aglycone forms of the isoflavones.
The invention relates to a process for refining phytochemicals in order to produce a combination with isoflavones which are tailored to the needs of specific human illnesses.
Currently, there is almost an epidemic of cancer, at least some of which is thought to be either caused or exacerbated by foods having a hormonal supplement derived from an animal origin. This thought is especially true for breast and prostate cancer. Other forms of cancers which are of special concern are skin cancer, colon cancer, urinary cancer, bladder and the like.
It is thought that many of those cancers, especially breast and prostate cancers, are either preventable or treatable by a use of a phytochemicals, especially isoflavones, as a source of supplemental hormones. However, it is also thought that there are superior results when a plurality of such phytochemicals are consumed in combinations.
In addition to cancer, there are many other illnesses which may be treated by ingesting certain phytochemicals. Exemplary of these illnesses are: blood related illnesses such as excessive levels of cholesterol, coronary disease, abnormal blood lipid profiles and vascular effects; female symptoms; neurological symptoms such as migraine headaches, immunological symptoms, inflammations, dementia and alcoholism. However, it is also thought that there are superior results when a plurality of such phytochemicals are consumed in combinations.
A proper diet contains the desired phytochemicals. However, a trouble is that many people do not have or do not like the proper kind of diet which provides the desirable effects. The problem is to furnish the necessary food values in some other form. Hence, there is a need for a process to refine phytochemicals in a manner which tailors the combination of isoflavones and phytochemicals to specific needs of particular illnesses.
Plant materials are known to contain a number of classes of organic low molecular weight compounds which exert bioactivity in various animals. Historically, these compounds have been considered to be somewhat non-nutritive, however, recent scientific evidence now suggests these compounds may play an important role in the maintenance of health, in chemoprevention, and in the mitigation of certain conditions or diseases associated with the circulation of sex hormones, including sleep disorders and vaginal dryness.
Edible plants normally contained in the diet, or materials used as herbal remedies/dietary supplements, may contain collections of structurally related compounds. These related substances are often unique in their amounts and distribution when compared among various plant sources. The most notable groups of compounds exhibiting bioactivity are known as flavonoids, isoflavones, saponins, lignans, alkaloids, catechins and phenolic acids.
Epidemiology studies relating diet to disease suggest that dietary components may predispose populations to reduced risk of certain diseases. Far eastern populations consuming soy have reduced rates of breast, prostate and colon cancers and coronary heart disease, while populations in Finland have reduced rates of prostate cancer. Researchers are just now studying the specific compounds in the diet to understand the basis for the epidemiological observations.
Among the various plants consumed in the diet, several are rich sources of phytochemicals. Soy products contain high amounts of isoflavones and saponins. Unrefined diet grains include plants such as wheat, psyllium, rice, flax and oats that contain lignans. Cocoa contains catechins and phenolic acids. Certain non-dietary plants are also sources of the same chemical molecules, such as lignans and isoflavones in kudzu root or red clovers. Isoflavones and lignans act as weak estrogenic substances. Tea plants are also a rich source of phytochemicals, including catechins and phenolic acids.
Isoflavones can be used alone to treat or prevent breast cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, and colon cancer or as mechanism inhibitors. Isoflavones alone may also reduce or prevent various symptoms related to the onset and duration of menopause, including hot flashes and osteoporosis. Isoflavones alone may also be effective in certain cardiovascular applications, including heart disease, reducing cholesterol-lipid levels, modulating angiogenesis, and other vascular effects. Moreover, isoflavones alone have been implicated in reducing headaches, dementia, inflammation, and alcohol abuse, as well as immunomodulation.
Lignans alone have been implicated in preventing or treating breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer as well as reducing hot flashes, preventing osteoporosis and showing antiviral potential. Lignans also have antimitotic and fungicidal activity. A plant lignan, the catecholic nordihydro-guaiaretic acid, was a potent antioxidant once used by the food industry.
Saponins alone have been implicated in preventing or treating skin cancer, colon cancer, reducing serum cholesterol, and in immunomodulation and antiviral activity. Saponins also exhibit antioxidant effects and act as free radical scavengers.
Phenolic acids have shown antioxidant activity.
People who eat a high soy diet show reduction of many of these above-discussed symptoms. This suggests that ingesting a combination of these phytochemicals in a ratio such as that found in soy may result in an additive or synergistic effect. However, a high soy diet has some undesirable effects, including flatulence, undesirable taste, and hesitancy among Western consumers to change their lifestyle to incorporate soy in their diets, even for such benefits.
Isoflavones, which are heterocyclic phenols, are understood to include the soy compounds genistin, daidzin and glycitein, as well as biochanin A, equol, formononetin, and o-desmethylangolensin and natural derivatives thereof These compounds and their aglycone or de-methylated aglycone forms, such as genistein and daidzein, are believed to have similar activities once they are ingested. They are sometimes referred to as phytoestrogens.
Lignans are defined to be compounds possessing a 2,3-dibenzylbutane structure. They include matairesinol, secoisolariciresinol, lariciresinol, isolariciresinol, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, pinoresinol, olivil, other compounds which may be precursors of enterolactone and enterodiol and modifications thereof, including diglucosides.
Phenolic acids include p-hydrobenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, and vanillic acid. Other phenolic acids are chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, sinapic acid, syringic acid, coumaric acid, cinnamic acid, genistic acid, salicylic acid, hydroxy benzoic acid and hydroxy phenyl acetic acids and derivatives. This list of phenolic acids should be understood to include the various isomers and derivatives found in the natural vegetable source.
Catechins, or flavan-3-ols, include epigallocatechin, catechin, epicatechin and gallocatechin.
Saponogenins are C-27 sterols in which the side chain has undergone metabolic changes to produce a spiroketal. Saponogenins occur naturally as saponins, which are 3-O-glycosides of the parent steroid or triterpenes. Digitonin from Digitalis is a saponin. Saponins include glucosides of sapogenin such as triterpenoides or steroids and saccharides such as glucose, arabinose, galactose or glucuronic acid. Typical examples of leguminous saponins are glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhetinic acid+glucuronic acid) contained in Glycyrrhiza glabra, soysaponin contained in soybean and alfalfasaponin contained in Medicago sativa. Saponins also include chemical entities identified as triterpene phenols such as tomatine, soyasapogenols A, B, C, D, E and F, ginsenoside fraction 3 and 4, medicagenic acid, hederagenin, glycyrrhizin digitonin, quillaja saponin, lucernic acid and zahnic acid. The natural modifications of these compounds found in the vegetable source are also included in this identification.
A need exists for an improved composition consisting substantially of isoflavones, lignans, saponogenins, saponins, and/or phenolic acids which will produce improved results over any of these taken alone. Furthermore, a need exists for a composition in which the beneficial phytochemicals are enriched as compared to their original source. This permits individuals to conveniently consume such phytochemicals as a nutritional supplement or as a food additive.